Why NFL helmets, end zones have 'Choose Love' words written on them in playoffs

NFL fans watching the playoff games this weekend will notice a couple words on helmets and in the end zones:

"Choose love."

It's a specific league choice for the Divisional Round of games, which includes Bills-Broncos, Seahawks-49ers, Patriots-Texans and Bears-Rams.

This is what you need to know.

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Why is 'Choose Love' on NFL end zones, helmets?

The NFL has used these words to honor Martin Luther King Jr.

MLK Day is on Monday.

"Dr. King's message continues to guide how we show up in meaningful moments across the league," said Anna Isaacson, senior vice president of social responsibility for the NFL, via ESPN. "'Choose Love' has become an important and widely embraced message for our teams because it reflects the values Dr. King championed -- dignity, empathy, and a commitment to our shared humanity. Bringing it forward in the Divisional Round and again at Super Bowl LX reflects that continued relevance."

The Bills were actually the first team to start using "Choose Love," which they did in 2022 after a mass shooting in Buffalo.

Teams across the NFL had the option to use "Choose Love" among a selection of choices for end-zone stenciling throughout the season.

This weekend, ahead of MLK Day, the league is using those words for all its games.

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